SuRF SDK: DIY Smart Grid

March 15, 2010 | 15:06

SuRF SDK: DIY Smart Grid

Remember those lucky people in Groningen participating in this experiment where EU money is setting them with up smart appliances, wirelessly communicating over the internet to save money and energy? Soon we too can set up such a network at our own homes! People Power is bringing us - if all goes well before the end of April - SuRF Developer's Kit, an open source hardware and software development kit based on the OSHAN protocol (Open Source Home Area Network). SuRF allows you to effectively set...

Remember those lucky people in Groningen participating in this experiment where EU money is setting them with up smart appliances, wirelessly communicating over the internet to save money and energy? Soon we too can set up such a network at our own homes! People Power is bringing us - if all goes well before the end of April - SuRF Developer's Kit, an open source hardware and software development kit based on the OSHAN protocol (Open Source Home Area Network). SuRF allows you to effectively set up your own 'Internet of Things' and make your house one high-tech, smart, communicative digitally breathing network! This sounds too good to be true :D.

You'll be able to track the usage of any of your appliances through web interfaces, but there's no limits to what you can do, since the software is all open source. Imagine tweeting coffeemakers and emailing power sockets. You can essentially program any of your appliances hooked up to the network.

On a sidenote, People Power is running a competition, challenging YOU to design the most awesome SuRF-application. You'll win 5.000USD, 5.000 shares of PeoplePower, and a free SuRF board (your 2nd one at that time, I assume :P). Check out the competition page for more information! And you'll ofcourse need to pre-order your SuRF board so you can start tinkering as soon as possible! I want one!